Activate the layer that contains the gradient. From the context-menu of the layers-dialog choose “Alpha to selection”.

Add a new layer. Choose white as FG-color. Take the “Gradient-Tool”. In the preferences-box of this tool choose the fourth option in the drop-down-menu for the gradients: “FG to Trasparent”. Apply this gradient from top to bottom.

6

- Select / None
- Activate the Scale-Tool
- Click the layer, when the popup-menu appears enter 175 as width and 150px for the new height. Click OK.

7

Take the Move-Tool now and move the white shine (the gradient ;)) to the top in the upper center of the sphere.

8

Go to Filter / Blur / Gaussian Blur: Value: 5.

9

We’re almost done. Now you can add for example a single character or any small symbol you want.

I took the Text-Tool and simply wrote a question-mark “?” in white color into the middle of the orb. Then i chose “Grain extract” from the layers-mode drop-down.

10

Thats it! Have fun with your new orbs ;)

Comments

Post your own comments, questions or hints here. The author and other users will see your posting
and can reply to it.

You can download it now in the tutorial details - must have missed the upload - sorry. Have fun!

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Luke

almost 6 years ago

Insert the xcf file

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Luke

almost 6 years ago

It's so hard

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NR

over 6 years ago

Grain extract doesn't work :( The text becomes darker, why is that?

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Cheesedude

over 8 years ago

*sigh* I can't get the tutorial to work. Split-Visionz's orbs are off center, the left side is not rounded. I guess I can't win around here. Thanks anyway!

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Cheesedude

over 8 years ago

I'll have to try Split-Visionz scripts because this does not work for me. The problem is on Step 5.

Where it says:

Add a new layer. Choose white as FG-color. Take the "Gradient-Tool". In the preferences-box of this tool choose the fourth option in the drop-down-menu for the gradients: "FG to Trasparent". Apply this gradient from top to bottom.

What kind of layer? I assume transparent, because you can't do a white to transparent gradient on a white filled layer. At least my version of Gimp 2.6.7 won't.

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Chobicusrated this topic with 5/5

almost 9 years ago

Very nice tut.

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ddjj

over 9 years ago

Nice. Rather than say something like, "Activate the layer that contains the gradient", give each layer a
name and refer to that name. I was a little confused
at times, what layer I should be manipulating. From Step 9, it appears meaningful names were given at some time.
Thx

@agcilantro - The Alpha to Selection function allows you to retain a selection while you create a new layer. This may not seem like much use, but it means that you can create exact duplicates of what ever it is that is selected. Making shadows is very easy this way.

Simply right click the layer you want, click 'Alpha to selection', create a new layer, then drag the colour or gradient you wish to apply over the selection. Apply any filters, and there you go.

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agcilantro

over 9 years ago

Thanks for the great tutorial
Can you please explain what the selection to alpha does? It is the only step that I don't understand.

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Zeke

over 9 years ago

What about exporting it to svgz?

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Butterfly

almost 10 years ago

I would also like to hint that if you're not looking for such a pronounced "shine" You should mess around with the Gaussian Blur and maybe put to something like 20. That worked out a lot better for me =D

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Butterfly

almost 10 years ago

I would like to tell devvv thank you so much for this tut. I've been looking for something like this for a while. And to that visionz guy thanks so much.. No if I could just find a way to make a nice bubble i would be in heaven :P

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Desert

about 10 years ago

Just save the file as *.bmp, gimp will automatically (at least mine does) as a bitmap

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jimmycrackcorn

about 10 years ago

how do i save this as a bitmap? i need just the button with a transparent background for a project so i can put this button overtop of another image. thanks for the help. great tutorial!

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Desert

about 10 years ago

In linux it's located in /home/YOUR_USERNAME/.gimp? where the ? is your version of gimp.
Hope it helped you.

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stalepretzel

over 10 years ago

Thanks for the tutorial!
I've wanted to makes some Web-2.0-looking graphics for some time, now, but I was unable; I only had Photoshop Elements. That's problematic because:
1) It was on the Windows computer, not the Mac that's much easier to use, and,
2) Almost all Photoshop Tutorials use CS, often relying on tools that weren't available in elements.
Then GIMP came along!
Free, easy, and it comes with a comunity of other GIMPers making tutorials for the same version I use!

You put the files in the gimp scripts folder, there are two folders you can use...
1.
documents and settings> user_name >.gimp2.4> scripts
If you put it in that folder only the account who user_name refers to can use them or...
2.
C:>Program Files>GIMP-2.0>share>gimp>2.0>scripts
all accounts on the pc can use them if you place them there... Also to note... what i said is for Windows only and the scripts folder may be located somewhere else on linux or Mac...

Even though its not my tutorial, in my opinion it is sometimes better to through on generic background layer on images so you can fully view things such as the shadow or edge of something your cutting which is sometimes not noticeable on gimps checkerboard BG it uses to symbolize transparency.